Improvement is desired in the field of tenodesis or surgical fixation or anchoring of tendons to bone. Improvement is particularly desired in regards to arthroscopic fixation of tendons to bone.
Current devices often require a dedicated interference screw or fixation device and cannot be used with a wide variety of cannulated interference screws. Current devices also are hampered by the large size of the inserter and implant assembly that blocks arthroscopic view of the tunnel and impedes surgeon performance. Currently available devices also do not enable temporary fixation of the tendon to bone prior to implant insertion. Therefore, the tendon has a tendency to wrap around the interference screw as it is being inserted. This makes insertion of the screw more complex and also impedes visibility of the surgeon. Alternatively, current devices undesirably utilize a second separate implant (other than the fixation screw) which adds cost to the procedure, and is undesirable in that a second implant remains in the body after the procedure.
The disclosure advantageously provides apparatus and methods for arthroscopic tenodesis that does not require a dedicated interference screw or fixation device, but is suitable for use with a wide variety of cannulated interference screws. The apparatus and methods according to the disclosure also advantageously enable temporary distal fixation to the bone, avoid the need for any implant beyond the fixation screw, improve surgeon visibility, and reduce operating room time and costs by reducing the number of steps required as compared to conventional tenodesis procedures.
The apparatus and the methods disclosed also further reduce the number of steps and provide a simplified tenodesis procedure by eliminating the need to attach a suture to the tendon.